Public Meeting Planned On BX Ranch Land

A community group is ramping up its effort to save a 137 acre parcel of land in the BX as public green space.

The BX /Swan Lake Community Association will present its vision at a public event at the Schubert Centre November 21st.

Paul Williamson with the BX Ranch Land Task Force says the property near East Hill could be used as a community farm or Agriculture Park.

“An Agricultural park is a combination of a municipal park and a community farm that borders a city or borders a municipality.”

The community farm idea would allow for more public use and teach new farmers.

“A community farm could be anything from an incubation farm to land swap farming. It’s a concept that young agrarians use to help young farmers get started farming.”

The land in question is currently being farmed by a a person who is leasing.

The Regional District is considering selling it back to private use.

The concern is what that private use could entail.

“Other forms of farming can take let’s say cherry crops that cause a lot of disruption to the immediate neighbours. Chicken farming could also offer conflicts to the municipality. So could a feedlot or a cattle operation.”

Williamson says things like that should be further out in the country away from municipalities.

He says East Hill has the highest population density of Vernon and deserves to have an open space park.

The event at the Schubert Centre on November 21st will be held from 7 to 9 pm.

The group hopes to have a petition with more than 1500 names to take to a meeting of the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee on December 7th.